


The Smell of Apple Pie

by Pinkynishi



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band)
Genre: M/M, fic: the smell of apple pie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 16:37:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10597956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkynishi/pseuds/Pinkynishi
Summary: Anyone who knew Jin, knew that his weaknesses were freshly baked pastries and hot guys. Little did he know that the building he had moved into had a bakery for a neighboor. And little did he know that the owner baked the best apple pies in the universe. (Well, according to him)





	1. Chapter 1 - Moving in

"Dude, we've been at this since 7 am. Can we please take a break?" Tomohisa whined as he put a box filled with movies down, stretching his arms and back right after.

Being the good friend that he was, he had come down to Tokyo from Fukushima to help Jin with his moving... but he had never expected Jin to have this much stuff. Jin had promised him free beer and free pizza, like anyone would do, but he was beginning to think those offerings weren’t enough. It was only 11 in the morning and he had gone up and down the 6 floors of Jin’s building for over 20 times.  
It was the middle of August, the sun was scorching hot and the air was heavy with humidity. His legs were killing him and he was sweating so much that his t-shirt was clinging to him.

He took out two beers from the cooler that was next to the couch and placed one of them on his forehead, letting out a soft moan as the water from the bottle's condensation dribbled down his forehead and down his neck. "That's the stuff," he muttered as he let himself fall onto Jin's couch, sprawled into every direction possible.

"Hey hey hey! No slacking off!" Jin nearly shouted as he walked into the room, pointing Tomohisa with an accusing finger.

From the looks of it, he was as exhausted as Tomohisa and he was sweating just as much. He had brought his hair back with a hairband and a small white towel was resting on his shoulders. Contrary to Tomohisa, Jin had abandoned his shirt and thrown it in the bathtub a long time ago. (aka 10 minutes after they first started) "We only have a few more boxes to bring up!"

"Dude give me a break!" Tomohisa whined back, finally opening his beer, his bangs now plastered to his forehead in a mix of water and sweat. "You live on the 6th fucking floor. I'm exhausted."

“Oh come on! It’s not that bad!”

“Dude you’re about to fall over. You’re just as tired as I am. Admit it.”

With a loud sigh, Jin placed the box he was holding down, a little bit more violently that he had expected, and let himself fall next to Tomohisa. “You’re right. I feel like i’m dying.”

Tomohisa titled his head to look at his friend and laughed before leaning forward and taking something off the ground. “Here,” he said, pressing the cold bottle against Jin’s cheek, making the other hiss with annoyance.

“Dude! That’s cold!” Even though he was whining, Jin took the bottle and pressed it along his neck. “Ah~” He moaned, earning himself an eyeroll from Tomohisa.

“I could so fall asleep right now.” Jin muttered, his eyes closed and his beer still against his neck, beads of water rolling down his chest and into his belly button.

“Ditto.”

They stayed in those positions for a couple of minutes, sipping their beers, staring into space, and their minds wandering to a universe where moving boxes and furniture was done automatically.

Jin took the last sip of his beer and got up. “Back to work!” he exclaimed, leaning down to get the box that he had previously placed on the floor.

Tomohisa looked at his beer and then at Jin. “Dude i’m barely halfway through this beer. How are you done?”

“What? It’s hot and the beer was ice cold.” He said with a shrug, disappearing to his kitchen to place the box on the counter.

Seconds became minutes and Tomohisa hadn’t heard a peep from Jin. Coming from Jin, it was considered weird. So Tomohisa finished up his beer and got up, heading to the kitchen.

He frowned when he saw Jin near the open doors that led to his own, yet small, private porch. He still had a box in his arms (not the same one as before) and a pensive expression on his face.

An expression that Tomohisa thought looked weird on the other.

Though he wasn't going to tell him that.

"What's up your butt?" He laughed, walking towards the other to see what he was looking at. According to Tomohisa, it was nothing. Something had to be happening outside for Jin to have this expression. "Jin?" He passed his hand in front of the others face, hoping to get a reaction out of him but Jin stayed in his statuesque form, though now he was frowning. "Earth to Jin?"

"Huh?" He blinked at Tomohisa and licked his lips before clearing his throat. "What's up?"

Tomohisa shrugged and took a step back. "What's wrong? You never get like that unless there's something bothering you to your core."

"Do you smell that?" Jin let out in a mutter.

Tomohisa started to smell around, unsure of what he should be expecting. "No what? Jin this better be real, I'm not falling for this trick again." He warned, dead serious.

"No no. I swear I'm serious. You don't smell it?" Jin approached the window and closed his eyes, getting a better whiff of what he was smelling. "It's near." He grabbed his keys off from the counter and headed to the door. "Come on. We're leaving." He said before rushing out. Tomohisa waited in the living room, his arms crossed, expecting Jin to come back. Which he did, not even 10 seconds later. “I should probably put on a shirt,” he said, letting out a small nervous laugh.

“Yes, yes you should.” The other said back, watching him sprint towards his bedroom then back again.

“OK GO,” Jin shouted, clapping his hands like an excited little kid, leading Tomohisa out of his apartment and down the 6 floors.

It was a decent place. Recently renovated. He had his washer/dryer in his flat and hardwood floors. 2 bedrooms, a dining room and living room. Like in any other apartment complex, the carpets in the hall stunk of feet and the walls were white, dirty finger prints here and there. Although it seemed run down, Jin actually had access to a pool and a small gym. How he had managed to score a place like that, no one knew. He was just lucky.

Once outside, he stopped and concentrated on finding the source of the smell. “Where is it coming from?”

Tomohisa nervously looked around, spotting people here and there that were looking at Jin as if he were an alien. “Jin, stop. People are looking.” He muttered, his hands in his front pocket, casually nodding at the passing people. “Jin, please.” He repeated, sounding more desperate. “They think you’re crazy.”

“I found the source," Jin said, ignoring Tomohisa altogether. When it came to yummy smells, everything came in second place. “It’s near.”

Tomohisa groaned, throwing his head back, wondering what he had done to deserve this type of torture. They were outside, it was scorching, and all he wanted to do was sit down and have another beer or two. Not follow some smell that - Wait, what _was_ that smell? His head shot back up and his brows scrunched together. “I smell it.” He said, looking at Jin. “Jin, I smell it.” He repeated, as if convincing himself that Jin wasn’t crazy or something.

Jin, on the other hand, was turned the other way and staring at something with his mouth agape and his eyes wide. “I’m doomed.” He said, looking straight in front of him.

“What? - Oh.” Tomohisa immediately understood what Jin meant. The first thing he saw was a light blue sign on which a croissant was painted with “Home Baking” written right over it. “Yeah. You’re doomed.” He agreed, patting Jin on the back. “Come on, let’s go see.”

Anyone who knew Jin knew that his weakness was freshly baked pastries.

Following in Tomohisa’s footsteps, he bumped into him. “Dude what’s the idea?” He whined, pushing Tomohisa so he would take a step forward. The man had stopped walking altogether...and for no apparent reason. (According to Jin)

“Sorry.” He laughed, approaching the display of pastries. He glanced at Jin, sending him a smile that the other didn’t understand. Tomohisa had seen something upon entering the bakery, though the something in question was currently no where in sight and he could only hope that it would come back so Jin could see it for himself.

Jin decided to ignore his friend and leaned down to look at the pastries. Everything looked delicious. Though one thing caught his eye: the place where it was written “apple pies” was empty.

“Hi, how can I help you?” A woman’s voice said, talking to Tomohisa. Jin looked up and saw Tomohisa talking to a small girl with glasses and decided that he wasn’t ready to order. Not just yet. His mind...no... His heart was set on apple pies but there were none. He shrugged.

“I’ll take one of your chocolate cupcakes.” Jin heard Tomohisa say.

“You’re going to get fat~” He singsang, his eyes still glued on the empty place where the pies should be.

“Pff. As if. Not with all the work you’re making me do today.”

“150Y” The girl told Tomohisa, handing him his cupcake. “And here, after you buy 7 pastries, the 8th one is free.” She said with a smiling, giving him a small paper card in which the number 1 spot had been punched out in the shape of a cupcake.

“Thanks, though I don’t think i’ll be here often. I live up in Fukushima. The idiot over there lives next door and I have a feeling you’ll see him alot.”

“I heard that.” Jin said, sticking out his tongue at Tomohisa, who did the same.

“You were supposed to~” Tomohisa singsang back at him, in the same tone that Jin had used earlier. “Hurry up and choose already.” He said, poking Jin on the arm.

Jin was now standing straight, his arms crossed over his chest. He still didn’t know what to pick.

“If it’s apple pies that you want, I have some in the back on cooling racks.” A new voice said, forcing Jin’s gaze up.

“Yeah that would be-" Upon seeing the man that was on the other side of the counter, Jin’s sentence died in his throat, leaving him with embarrassing choking sounds. The man was gorgeous. He had short black hair that was showing from underneath the cute bandana he was wearing. It had little white bunnies on it and Jin thought that it was adorable. The man had deep brown eyes in which Jin thought he could drown in. “I’m sorry what?” He managed to finally say, kicking Tomohisa who was laughing behind his back.

Anyone who knew Jin knew that his weaknesses were freshly baked pastries... and hot guys. Little did Jin know that, by entering the bakery that day, he would be confronted with both. Had he been ready for that? Nope. He had only expected fresh pastries.

The man laughed and Jin’s knees almost buckled. Fuck. That laugh. And those dimples. He bit down on the inside of his mouth, keeping himself from making any unnecessary choking noises again. “I said...If you want an apple pie, I have some in the back.”

“YES.” Jin answered, way to enthusiastically, attracting the attention of the other people that were in the bakery.

He felt his face go red and all he wanted to do was bury his face in his t-shirt. But he couldn’t do that, because the man with the pies was looking straight at him. “We have either 4, 6 or 12 inches.”

Jin swallowed hard and licked his lips. “4...please. Two of them. Please.”

The man smiled at Jin and turned around heading for the back of the bakery. “Coming right up!” The phone started to ring and the guy stopped mid-way in the doors, turning back to look at one of the employees. "Tatsuya could you get that please?" He asked a guy with short black hair. (Shorter than the cute bakers' that's for sure.)

"Sure, no problem Kame."

Kame, the guy's name was Kame. Jin would make sure he remembered that. Kame.

As soon as the man disappeared the other guy...Tatsuya, was it? Answered the phone and Jin glared at Tomohisa, his face still a nice shade of pink. “You knew this would happen.”

“How could I possibly know that, Jin? It’s my first time here.” Tomohisa laughed innocently,it was obvious now that Tomohisa had seen the guy earlier, resulting in why he had stopped walking. He smiled at Jin and took a bite of his cupcake, “ohmygod.” He muttered, his mouth full. “This is delicious.” With every bite he took, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, which made Jin slightly uncomfortable. He had heard Tomohisa make these sounds once, and he didn’t wish for the memories to come rushing back.

“Get a room.” He muttered, shooting a glance back at the other man before approaching the register.

“1050Y,” The girl said with a smile. “And here.” She handed him the same card she had offered Tomohisa earlier. “In case you want to come back.”

“Oh, thanks.” Jin nodded at looked down at the card: it had the same logo as their sign outside and on the front, the address was written. Though he wouldn’t need an address, considering it was right next to his building. He smiled at her and slid it into his wallet.

"Here you go~" the man said as he came back, holding out a white box tied with ribbons. "Enjoy." He flashed Jin with a view of his perfect smile with his perfect dimples before heading back to the ovens.

"Thanks." Jin managed to mutter, even though the other was already gone.

He was brought back from his fantasy world when Tomohisa pinched the inside of his bicep, making him yelp and slap the hand away. “Dude what gives?!” He whined, rubbing the injured skin.

“I give you a month.” Tomohisa said to him before leaving the bakery, Jin close behind.

“What do you mean?” Jin asked as he hurried in front of Tomohisa as they reached his building.

“Jin, the guy has everything you look for in a guy. Cute smile, dimples, pretty eyes...he's a baker and, he has nice ass”

“Hey!”

Tomohisa raised his hands and waved them in front of his face innocently. “I’m just looking out for you buddy! I know your type, I just want you to be happy.”

Jin muttered something that sounded like “then stop being creepy about it” before turning around and heading to his car to get the four last boxes. “Help me out, it’s the last ones.” He piled the box of pies on top of his boxes and, after Tomohisa took the last items from the backseat, he closed the door with his bum, heading to the entrance of his building.

“Uh-oh.” He looked at Tomohisa, then back at the door.

“Yeah...we really didn’t think this through, did we?” Tomohisa shrugged as he understood what Jin was talking about. Both of their arms were full and they couldn’t open the door to Jin’s building.

Thankfully, while they were looking at eachother, waiting for the other to put down the boxes to open the door, a woman did it for them and held it open. “Here, let me help.” She said, smiling at the pair.

“Thanks.” They answered.

“Moving in?” She asked innocently.

“Uh, yeah, 6th floor.” Jin told her, hoisting the boxes higher, his eyes glancing at the pies every once in a while.

“Welcome to the building then. I’m on the fourth floor, apartment 42, Haruka Yoshida.”

“Oh, uh, Jin Akanishi, apartment 61. I - uh.” He shrugged as he couldn’t bow with the boxes in his hands. Instead, he raised his index finger. “Pleased to meet you.” He said with a smile.

The woman laughed as she saw the finger, taking it between her index and thumb and giving it a small squeezed. “Likewise. Oh uh, sorry, those look heavy. I’ll let you be on your way. I’ll see you around... Jin.” She winked at him before letting the door go, walking away in the opposite direction.

Jin, on the other hand, looked back at Tomohisa, his eyes wide. “Did she just wink at me?” He asked, a shriek of despair barely noticeable in the background of his voice.

“She did. And did you see the rack on that woman? Damn.”

“Dude I’m gay,” Jin said, going up the first flight of stairs.

“Shame. She seemed eager to see you again, if you know what I mean.”

“I always know what you mean, Pi. I wasn’t expecting to get hit on. I’m not used to it.”

“Of course you aren’t. You were in a relationship for the past 4 years. You didn’t notice that kind of stuff. If it helps, girls looked at you all the time back home. And then they sighed when they saw you holding hands with a guy.”

Jin let out a laugh as he began ascending the final flight of stairs. “Shut up.”

“It’s the truth!” Tomohisa called back as a defense. “Dude you’re like a babe magnet. I don’t know what they see in you though, considering i’m straight and hotter.”

“Could your ego be any bigger?” He laughed as he turned his body to look at the man that was following close behind, unaware that something on top of the boxes was shifting.

“Jin watch out!” Tomohisa called out.

He would’ve reached out to catch the box that was slowly starting to slide but, considering he was holding boxes, he could only stare in horror as Jin’s eyes became bigger and he tried to regain his balance.

But it was too late.

The smaller box, in which Jin’s pies were, slid off and fell over the railing of the stairs, in the gap that was in the middle of the staircase. “No no no no no!” Jin cried out, placing his boxes down and gripping the railing, watching his precious pies make their descent. They couldn’t possibly fall through down to ground floor, could they?

They could. 

They were bound to hit a railing at some point and land in stairs below, weren’t they?

Nope.

Jin let out a loud groan as he heard the noise the impact had made. “My pieeesss!” He wailed. “Do you think they’re Ok?” He asked Tomohisa, his lower lip quivering.

“I’m sorry buddy.” He climbed the last set of stairs and somehow managed to open the door leading to Jin’s hallway. “Come on, let’s put this in your flat and then you can go down to get the ruined pies.” He gestured the door with his head and Jin slowly got up and picked up his boxes, a pout still clear on his face. “Plus this door is really heavy, can you hurry?”

Jin muttered a string of swear words and picked up the pace, heading straight to his place.

While Tomohisa was getting started on the base of Jin’s bed, Jin dragged his feet down the 6 floors (again) to pick up his ruined pies. Maybe he could salvage what was in them. The guy at the bakery had secured the box so... sure the pies wouldn’t look like pies but they would still taste good. Right?

Well, that was what he had intended to do. Though upon arriving, the box was gone. The pies were no where in sight. For what seemed to be the fifteenth time that day, Jin groaned with annoyance. What had he done to deserve such a horrible welcome to the city?

He didn’t really want to go back to the bakery. Well, he did, but twice within the hour seemed a little bit...well he would look like a glutton.

But Jin really, really, wanted his pie(s).

So he took a deep breath and entered the bakery for the second time that day, the little bell on top of the door ringing as it was hit.

“Oh! Hello again.” The man with the cute bandana said, approaching the counter to greet Jin. “Back already?” He laughed, leaning over the tall display of pastries.

“Yeah um…” Jin cleared his throat, avoiding the man’s gaze as he was embarrassed that the guy recognized him. He could feel the tips of his ears going red and he could only be thankful for the fact that he had taken off his headband, allowing his hair to hide his ears. “The pies kinda fell 6 floors and when I got there to pick-up the box, it was gone.” He said with a shrug.

“Would you like the same thing as earlier?” The baker asked.

“Please.”

Jin let out a sigh of relief once the other left. Something about this stranger just took his breath away and made him giddy.

Tomohisa was right. The guy was totally his type.

He hated when his friend was right.

Before he could continue to diss his best friend in his mind, the baker came back and handed him the box. Jin thanked him and paid, glancing up once in a while, and then mentally kicking himself for inflicting himself this kind of torture.

“Do you have your loyalty card?” The man said, smiling so that the dimples on his cheeks making Jin go crazier with every passing second. Jin could swear that the guy was doing it on purpose.

“Oh, right.” Jin slid the card out of his wallet and handed it over with a shy smile. He had to bite down on his tongue when their fingers brushed together. Jin could almost feel a current between them. It was weird. He didn't even know the guy.

That and, he had been dumped 4 months ago and it had torn him to pieces. Had it not been for Tomohisa, he would probably still be in Fukushima sulking about how his life was over and getting fat with apple pies that their local baker made. Tomohisa had knocked some sense into him and he was also the one that had given him the idea to have his company transfer him to Tokyo, saying that a change of scenery would do him some good.

And, yet again, he was right.

He thanked the other and headed out, only to run up the 6 floors to his place. He was dead tired and he couldn't wait to get to bed but he ran up the stairs in half the time it normally took him.

Upon entering his apartment, he leaned on the closed door for a second, allowing himself a moment to breathe before heading to the kitchen and opening the box that contained his last chance to happiness for the day.

It didn't take him much longer. Before he stuffed a first bite into his mouth, immediately going nuts over just how good this pie was. It was like...the Adonis of all apple pies he had eaten. All of his future pies would be compared to this one. Now he understood how Tomohisa meant when he was getting all weird over the cupcake.

"Are you alright?" Tomohisa asked as he made his way towards Jin, who didn't seem to be breathing all that much. He just kept on eating and eating. “How long have you been back?”

Ignoring the questions, Jin simply blurted out the truth. "I think i'm in love."

"With the pies? I thought they would be ruined."

"They were. Well. They disappeared."

"Wait. So then..."

"I WENT BACK OK. DON'T JUDGE ME. I'M IN LOVE, TOMOHISA."

"WITH WHAT? THE PIES?!" Tomohisa couldn’t help it, when Jin screamed, even if it was in a childish fight, he screamed to. It had been like that since they met in primary They had actually met when Tomohisa had said that he really liked this girl and Jin told him that he liked her.

And that had blown up into a full fledged argument, resulting in the both of them to make a pact to never ask that girl out.

"I'D RATHER NOT SAY."

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!”

“I’M GOING TO GET FAT. BECAUSE I’M IN LOVE.”

Tomohisa groaned, his arms flailing around. “WITH WHHHAAATTTTT” He repeated, stretching the word out to its maximum, tired of Jin being so fucking vague.

“WITH THE GUY WITH THE CUTE BANDANA.”

“Oh.” Tomohisa laughed and grabbed a fork, taking a bite of the pie Jin was eating. “Called it.” He laughed.


	2. Chapter 2 - A new job

Tomohisa had told Jin to calm down. That they were just pies. But Jin hadn’t listened. He managed to eat both the pies he had bought in one sitting, resulting in, 3 hours later, him saying that his stomach was going to kill him.

Tomohisa could only laugh. He knew how Jin could get when he was in love (with either food or someone). He knew that Jin would be hungry again very soon and that he would have to hear all about how this other person was perfect. Not that Tomohisa minded of course, he was happy that his friend was back on his feet. He had a new place, a new job and a new crush. So as long as he didn’t have to hear about it and only about it for months, he was fine.

They'd ordered pizza for dinner that night. Pizza that Jin, even though he had stuffed his stupid face with pie during the afternoon, ate half of.

In the morning, Tomohisa had to hold Jin back from going back to the bakery and getting them breakfast. And it wasn’t easy. A hungry Jin was a dangerous Jin. And this place contained both a hot guy and food.

Tomohisa had to prevent his friend from making mistakes like these, even if that meant getting severely hurt in the process at some point.

How did Jin know that the bakery sold breakfasts?

Well, because Jin had gone behind Tomohisa’s back and he had looked up “Home Baking bakery” on the Internet and he had found their site, on which their complete menu was posted.

Tomohisa had to sit Jin down like a kid and he had to explain that: if he didn’t want to look obsessed over the cute baker called “Kame”, he had to calm down and hold back from going down there every day. Otherwise, he would look desperate. Jin half heartedly agreed with his friend and he promised not to go down (too much). Though he knew he couldn’t resist going at least once or twice. He was human, after all.

The week passed and Tomohisa went back to Fukushima. Jin was starting at his new job on Monday and he needed to get back in his “Lawyer state of mind”, like he liked to call it. Meaning that he had to get back into his papers and read the crap out of them to be aware of how this branch of his company worked.

Tomohisa knew that his friend was actually a brilliant man but, with him, he mostly acted like a whiny little man child in need of attention. The fact that he was a lawyer blew his mind every time.

-

The sun rose on Monday morning and Jin couldn’t be more stressed. He was starting a new job at a new place with new people…in a new town. Everything was new and he didn’t like the feeling at all. It was actually making him feel sick. Surprisingly enough, during the week, he had not gone to the bakery at all. But this morning, he needed his coffee...and maybe a pastry or two.

So he got up from his bed, jumped into the shower and got ready for his first day. And after finally being able to do the knot of his tie, he looked at his reflection one last time and nodded to himself: He was ready to go.

Upon arriving in front of the bakery, he took one deep breath and walked inside. He didn’t want to look like the numb-head he had been last time. He was already sure that his reputation had been made, and we was sure that it wasn’t the best of the best.

And so he walked in, his head up high, and headed to the back of the line that was already formed in front of the cash register. He clearly wasn’t the only one that thought this place was amazing. (He thought so, even if he had only been there once)

Maybe next time, he would come down earlier, skip the line and chat with the cute baker. Maybe next time, there wouldn’t be so many people.

He took out his phone and started doing what everyone was doing now: ignoring the world around him and browse the web, his feet dragging him forward automatically, step by step. He kept on biting on the inside of his lip as his eyes shifted from his screen to the two employees at the counter. He was kind of relieved when he saw that his baker guy Kame wasn't there. There was a girl with black hair tied in a cute ponytail and round glasses and a guy with very short black hair up in little spikes. Jin was fairly sure that both of them had been there last time as well. Other than them, there was a woman in her forties, and another young girl with short auburn hair.

"Hi! What can I get you?" The guy asked him with a smile.

Jin quickly put his phone away in the pocket inside his jacket and took a step forward. "Large coffee, one sugar, and an apple turnover, please. To go.” He quickly added.

Meh. Screw the eggs, he’d never been a breakfast person anyways.

"The turnovers will be out of the oven in 3 minutes tops. Do you mind waiting?"

"Sure." Jin said with a smile.

“Your name please?” The guy continued, his sharpie ready to scribble what ever word blurted out of Jin’s mouth.

“Uh - Jin. Sorry.” He managed.

“Thanks. We only do this in the morning.” The guy started to explain, seeing as Jin was confused. “Otherwise we lose control over whose coffee is whose...Thanks Starbucks!” He laughed, placing the cup down and entering Jin’s order in the system. “Five thirty.” He said.

Jin nodded and took out a bill from his wallet, along with his loyalty card, and handed them to the cashier.

“Your coffee will be given to you on your right, at the end of the display and your pastry will be out soon.” He handed Jin his change and his card, smiled and headed to the back of the bakery, leaving the doors swinging behind him.

Jin proceeded to sit at one of the empty tables near the display of pastries, picking up a newspaper off one of the other tables as he did. He leafed through it, reading sentences here and there but his mind was elsewhere. He was pre-occupied by too many things. His job being in #1 and the cute baker he had yet to see being in #2. He stopped flipping the pages when he reached the comics and began to read them, figuring that it wouldn’t take long and he wouldn’t start something he couldn’t finish. (Something that Jin hated doing.)

 _Silly Garfield._ He chuckled. _Why would Jon ask you to touch his toes._

“Take-out for...Jin?” A man’s voice said, making him raise his eyes from comic strip. Oh fuck he’s here. He realized, peering at the baker through his bangs, suddenly very shy about going up to him.

That’s what he got out of his failed 4 year relationship: he became insecure and he doubted his every move. He couldn’t help but overthink everything. He knew he wanted to see the baker, Kame was it? He knew that for sure. But he had to get over his issues first and he didn’t know where to begin.

He bit down on his lower lip and closed his newspaper, then looking in the direction of the man that was looking around for someone responding to the name “Jin.” _Fuck. He noticed I was looking at him._ The other was flashing Jin with his best smile, his dimples as cute as ever. Fuck. He probably thought Jin was the owner of the apple turnover and the coffee. (He was but that was just a very small detail)

Jin smiled back. A smile that quickly faded as realized that fuck, I am Jin. He hurried to his feet, almost tripping on the chair as he did. “Jin?” The baker said, handing him a small brown bag.

“Uh yeah, sorry about that.” He quickly apologized, grabbing the bag and the coffee.

“Wow. You clean up good.” The man said with a chuckle, making Jin’s gaze shoot straight up.

“I’m sorry?”

“Well, last time you came in you were clearly in the midst of moving so, seeing you in a suit is completely different.” He laughed, “It suits you.”

Jin could’ve sworn his heart stopped beating at that moment when Kame, the baker, realized the lame pun he had made. His eyes grew wider and, as if they were in a cartoon and Jin saw his face become red gradually, from the bottom of his neck, up to the tips of his ears, matching the little red roses that were on the bandana he was wearing today. He had to bite down on the insides of his cheeks to prevent himself from bursting out in laughter and seem impolite.

"You're clearly embarrassed by the le pun you just made but upon seeing an occasion like this…” Jin licked his lips before cracking into a smile. “A great baker like yourself will rise to the occasion. It's the yeast you can do."

Jin had genuinely thought that the other would simply chuckle or look at him with a weird look. His joke was beyond stupid. The only person he knew that laughed at jokes this stupid was his younger brother Reio. Even Tomohisa didn’t laugh. So when Kame burst out into laughter, he laughed as well. Though instead of taking the heat off the baker, he had managed to have everyone in the bakery look at them like they were idiots. He didn't mind, especially because it meant he could see those dimples and all of those laughter lines on the other's face.

“That was terrible,” The baker said, wiping away a tear with the back of his hand. “Thank you.”

“Hey,” Jin tapped his coffee cup on the counter before smirking at the other. “It’s the yeast I could do.” His test worked. Even if he repeated the joke twice, the other laughed like it was the first time he had heard it. It made Jin’s heart flutter with joy. “Anyways, I’m off. Have a good day.”

“You too.”

As the baker sent him off with a little wave, Jin turned to exit the bakery, making the little bell at the top of the door ring, and he headed towards his car that was parked in the road. Once inside, he placed his coffee in the cup holder and his briefcase and turnover on the passenger seat. It wasn’t until his belt was buckled that he noticed how he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

Today was going to be a good day.

-

“Kazuya, you were so smitten.”

Kazuya didn't bother to turn around to face the person that was talking to him. He simply kept on kneading the dough that he had on the counter. “Ayumi what are you talking about again.”

The girl with round glasses approached him and went on the other side of the island. “He would be good for you, you know.”

“Again, what are you talking about?” This time, Kazuya raised his gaze to meet the one the girl was giving him. He knew that look. She was expecting something from him.

“The guy from earlier, that made the lame jokes about yeast.”

“Oh.” Kazuya chuckled, remembering the lame pun. “Yeah, that was lame.”

“You are so smitten oh my god!”

“Ayumi please, I don’t have time to be smitting, or what ever the word is. I have too much on my plate.”

“Right. Even Tat-Chan noticed, just saying.”

“You’re both imagining things. You need a vacation.” He picked up the dough and placed it in a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap. “And more interesting things to talk about than my love life.”

“Are you kidding me? You’ve always had the most interesting love life! Tat-Chan has been with his girlfriend for five years, my boyfriend lives in Europe and you’ve always had the most interesting people after you.”

After placing the bowl in the fridge, Kazuya turned to look at the girl. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“No. I’m on my break.” She immediately answered, earning herself and eyeroll from her boss. “Remember in high school? The weird girl with who always had a rat on her shoulder?”

“Creepy-Nezumi? Of course I remember her. She was terrifying.” He shivered, remembering how Creepy-Nezumi, her real name being Nazumi, would always ask him to pet her rat.

“Then in the first year of college there was the magic trick guy that always made flowers appear for you.”

“Oh right, I forgot about him.” He headed to the sink and began washing his hands. “I actually went out on a date with him, out of curiosity, but then he made an incredibly offensive joke and I left.”

“Why don’t I remember this? I know we hung out less in college but you always told us about the failed dates.”

“I wanted to forget about it.” Kazuya kept on walking around the kitchen, checking his ovens every now and then, hoping that Ayumi would let him be.

“Oh come on, just tell me.”

“Fine.” Kazuya turned around and leaned back on the counter, crossing his arms. “He was making jokes all night and said one that mocked the fact that I was aiming for med school even though I was horrible in all my classes. I didn’t laugh, obviously, so he said. Do you know what the difference is between a joke and a dick?”

Ayumi frowned and pursed her lips. “No…?”

Kazuya took a deep breath before answering. “You can’t take a joke.” He straightened up and walked away, hanging his apron on a hook before heading outside in the alley, sitting on the stone steps.

“Ok yeah, I understand why you abandoned ship,” She said, taking a seat next to him on the steps.

“The one good thing that came out of that relationship is that he made me realize that I really didn’t want to be a doctor.”

“Right. Right. You changed schools after that and had your first normal relationship. What was her name? Meyu? Miyu?”

“Mayu,” Kazuya corrected, looking up at the sky and closing his eyes, bathing in the sunlight. “Yeah she was great. Shame she had to move away.”

“True. And that’s why you’re well-overdue for a new relationship. It’s been two years! And that guy was totally smitten!”

“Kazuya! We need you!” A voice called from the inside of the bakery.

“That’s me!” Kazuya smiled, getting up from the stairs.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook.” Ayumi called after him, staying on the stairs for the remainder of her break.

\--

Jin took a deep breath, adjusted the strap of his back and pushed open the door of his new building. He looked around and spotted the front desk where a young lady was sitting, hunched over some papers. “Hi, I’m Akanishi Jin, someone is supposed to meet me this morning?” He said to her.

“Oh. Yes,” She smiled. “M. Nakamura is expecting you, I’ll go get him.” She got up from her desk and headed to the hallway, knocking on the second door on the right. Jin couldn’t hear what she said once she entered but seconds later, she was back with a tall man following close behind. “M. Nakamura, this is Jin Akanishi. M. Akanishi, M. Takeshi Nakamura.” She waited until they shook hands and retreated back to her desk.

“Jin! Glad to finally meet you in person! It’s nice to put a face on the voice you know?”

Jin was taken aback by the sudden friendliness but he figured he good need a friend at work. Even if the man was his boss. “Yeah. Likewise.”

“Follow me, I’ll show you to your office.”

Once Jin was settled down, he took a deep breath and looked out the window of his office. It was a 20 minute drive from his place so he couldn’t quite see it from where he was. He could only make out the lines of the bigger buildings around the area. He took a sip of his now almost-cold-coffee and rummaged through his desk to take out the apple turnover he had previously stashed in there.

He licked his lips and, slowly, he took a bite.

“Holly fucking shit.”

He was in heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This fic was starting in 2014 but I'm posting this in 2017.

**Author's Note:**

> *Reposting from my LJ, seeing as their terms changed and I don't approve of them at all.  
> I haven't written a new chapter in a while but depending on how it goes, posting here, I'll try and get back to it. 
> 
> Talk soon. 
> 
> xx Marie


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